What Uncharted 4 Taught One Gamer About Depression

Over at Remeshed, Emma Kidwell talks about her experience with ending Uncharted 4 — and how putting down the controller gave her the chance to reflect on her depression.

Content warning: full article contains spoilers for the end of Uncharted 4.

After finishing Uncharted 4 I realized that the emotions I felt while playing a video game to completion very much mirrored the ups and downs of my mental health throughout the course of my adult life.

When it was release day, I drove to pick up my collector’s edition and strapped it into the passenger side with the seat belt stretched carefully over the box. The anticipation to play was unreal. Picking up the controller before starting a new title rejuvenates my sense of excitement and eagerness. Clocking in hours spent exploring new environments, creating relationships with characters, and becoming invested in the narrative all mirror my “good” days. I’m content and happy.

The state of mind I’m in before playing a new game is a parallel to when I feel normal and completely functional.

Watching as the screen goes black and transitions to a wall of text full of developer names and acknowledgements following the end of a game brings a familiar emptiness in my stomach. It’s something that I never knew how to describe, but it happened every time I finished a game that really resonated with me.

Donate

Your tax-deductible donation will allow us to provide more people with hope that they are not alone and that there is help for what they are going through.

Mission

Take This, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit charity that seeks to inform our community about mental health issues, to provide education about mental disorders and mental illness prevention, and to reduce the stigma of mental illness.

For information on when to seek dedicated clinical help and how to find it, please visit our "When to Seek Help" page.